Standalone Pages

Monday, February 4, 2013

Ravens’ Super Bowl win has a Crimson tint

The Baltimore Ravens’ 34-31 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday night’s Super Bowl had a distinctive Crimson shade to it. Ozzie Newsome, the former Alabama receiver that Coach Paul Bryant called “the greatest end in Alabama history,” is the Ravens’ General Manager. He is considered the architect of the team that took home the Lombardi Trophy.

On the field, the Ravens’ defense stepped up all night and made key stops when the game was on the line. Featured on that defense were former Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw and defensive lineman Terrence Cody.

Upshaw forced a fumble by former Oregon player LaMichael James. It was a critical play because the 49ers were driving. Their opening drive of the second quarter started at their own 20 and they’d made it to the Ravens 25. Upshaw sniffed out the play and popped the ball loose, halting a potentially momentum changing drive.

Both Upshaw and Cody won national championships at Alabama. Cody’s came in 2009. Upshaw’s came in 2011. What’s even cooler is that Upshaw now has back to back championships, and cooler still is that both championships were won in the Superdome in New Orleans.

Guess where Ozzie Newsome played his last collegiate football game? The 1978 Sugar Bowl in the Super Dome following the 1977 season. Newsome was offensive team captain.

Both rosters from the Super Bowl teams are heavy on former SEC players. The Ravens roster has 10 former SEC standouts. The 49ers have nine. Alabama and Georgia have two players on the Ravens’ squad (Dannell Ellerbe and DeAngelo Watson are the two former Bulldogs). Missouri has two former Tigers with the 49ers in Aldon and Justin Smith. Ole Miss has one Raven and one 49er—Michael Oher of “Blind Side” fame and Patrick Willis, respectively. So too does Auburn in Josh Bynes and Carlos Rogers, respectively. Florida has Deonte Thompson and Ray McDonald, respectively. Mississippi State’s Pernell McPhee and Anthony Dixon round out the former teammates on opposing sides.

Kentucky and Vanderbilt are the only two SEC programs with no active players on the Super Bowl rosters.